Clothespin



Jan. 2, 1951 MEYER 2,536,202

CLOTHESPIN Filed June 2, 1949 In ventor Joseph Meyer By Mia 5 W 18%;

Patented Jan. 2, 1951 CLOTHESPIN Joseph Meyer, Rugby, N. Dak.

Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,772

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a clothes pin, more particularly a locking clothes pin adapted to clamp clothing securely in position on the clothes line.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a locking clothes pin simple and easy to operate.

Another important object is to provide a strong, durable clothes pin using a minimum number of parts.

Still another object is to provide a locking clothes pin easily taken completely apart so as to permit replacement of broken parts.

Further ancillary objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which:

' Figure l is a side elevation in operative position with clothes line and clothes included in cross section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation in inoperative position;

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken substantially upon line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section taken substantially upon the line i4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cam member.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral It denotes the clothes pin generally, which is composed of a body portion I2 and jaws I l extending from the body I2.

About midway the length of the jaws I4 a stirrup It encompasses the jaws I4. The stirrup I6 is provided with bent open ends I8 which are journaled in a cam member 29. The cam member 2c is held against one of the jaws as shown best in Figures 1 and 2.

On the jaw opposite the jaw adjacent the cam member 2e, there is a lateral groove 2| in the edges and extending along the outside surface of the jaw. This groove provides a seat for the stirrup It, thus retaining the parts of the assembled locking clothes pin in position.

It will be seen in Figure 5 that the hole 22, in which the stirrup ends I 8 are journaled, is eccentrically located relative to the medial plane of the cam member for a purpose later to be described. The cam member has longitudinally extending portions 2 also for purposes later to be described.

As the body I2 and jaws I4 are of integral construction, they may be fashioned from a single block or molded as a unit. The only restriction regarding the body I2 and jaws I4 is that one of the jaws must be resilient. When in relaxed relation to each other, the jaws It will be approximately parallel to each other and in the open the ends I8 from the holes 22 in the cam member in which the ends I8 are journaled and simply lifting out the cam member 20. The stirrup It now fits loosely about the jaws I4 and may easily be slid therefrom. It is easily seen that re-assembly is accomplished by simply reversing the steps just outlined.

t will be seen by referring to Figures 1, 2 and 5 that the eccentric location of the hole 22 in the cam member 22] allows the cam to occupy either of two stable positions relative to the other parts of the locking clothes pin. One of these stable conditions exists when the clothes pin is locked in a closed position and the other stable condition exists when the clothes pin is in the open position. As the cam is manipulated from one stable position to the other, it moves with a snap action past dead center. The reason for the snap action and the stability of the open and closed positions resides in the variation of the radial distance from the hole 22 to the plane of contact with the adjacent jaw M, and the tension of the jaw I4 pulling the cam snugly against this plane. It is obvious that minimum radial distances provide the stable positions for the cam 2t, and the tension will cause the cam to quickly rotate to such a position. It is seen in Figures 1 and 2 that the cam surface is of such a character as to have such minimums at the open and closed position, thus affording the snap action. The eccentricaily located hole 22 accounts for the fact that the radial distance, as clearly seen on comparing Figures 1 and 2, is greater in the closed position than in the open position, and is the reason for the jaws I4 being closed in Figure 1 and open in Figure 2. The extensions 22 limit the cam 29 rotation between the open and closed position, and provide convenient parts for finger manipulation of the cam 20.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the operation of the locking clothes pin will be readily understood. With clothing 28 supported in the conventional manner by a clothes line 25, the open clothes pin is passed over the clothing 28 and line 25 in the usual manner to a position where the clothes line 26 passes through and between the jaws M at a point approximately midway the length of the jaws M. Extension 24 most remote from the adjacent jaw Id of the clothes pin is then pressed in towards the clothes pin by the use of the finger. By this simple operation a clothes pin holds the clothing to the line in a firm position, suflicient pressure being exerted on the jaws to prevent the pin from slipping off the line or the clothing being torn by the wind from between the jaws.

The opening of the pin and removal from the clothes line is equally as simple. This again is accomplished by pressing the extension 24 most remote from the jaw 14, which rotates the arm member to the open position, thus releasing the pressure exerted upon the clothes line by the jaws. The clothes pin may now easily be removed from the clothes line.

This locking clothes pin is very inexpensive to produce, as it has only three component parts. Other advantages stem from the small number of parts required for this clothes pin, for instance, the small number .of parts contributes materially to the simplicity of the procedure for assembly and disassembly, thus making feasible replacement of broken parts by the user.

The present embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail, however, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restricting sense.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

l. A clothes pin comprising a pair of opposed jaws for clamping a clothes line and clothing supported thereon, a combined means for urging closing movement of the jaws and for limiting opening movement of the jaws, said combined means comprising a cam body having a raised, arcuately surfaced portion spaced inwardly from its oppositely extending ends, and means engaging one of said jaws and pivoted to the body eccentrically of the raised portion, said arcuate surface slidably bearing against the other of said jaws, with the extending ends of the body constituting stops engageable with the other jaw limiting rotation of the body relative thereto and also constituting extensions that may be alternatively pressed by a finger towards the other jaw to rotate the cam body.

what is 2. A clothes pin comprising a clothes line and clothing supported thereon, said jaws being resiliently biased apart, a combined means for urging closing movement of the jaws and for limiting opening movement of the jaws, said combined means comprising a cam body having a raised, arcuately surfaced portion spaced inwardly from its oppositely extending ends, and means engaging one of said jaws and pivoted to the body eccentrically of the raised portion, said arcuate surface slidably bearing against the other of said jaws, with the extending ends of the body constituting stops engageable with the other jaw limiting rotation of the body relative thereto and also constituting extensions that may be alternatively pressed by a finger towards the other jaw to rotate the cam body, said other jaw coacting with the arcuate surface of the body and. the eccentric pivotal connection thereof to rotate the body to a position limited by one of the ends thereof.

3. A clothes pin comprising a pair of opposed jaws for clamping a clothes line and clothing supported thereon, a combined means for urging closing movement'of the jaws and for limiting opening movement of the jaws, said combined means comprising a cam body having a raised, arcuately surfaced portion spaced inwardly from its oppositely extending ends, and means engaging one of said jaws and pivoted to the body ec .entrically of the raised portion, said second means comprising a stirrup encompassing said jaws, said arcuate surface slidably bearing against the other or" said jaws, with the extending ends of the body constituting stops .engageable with the other jaw limiting rotation of the body relative thereto and also constituting extensions that may be alternatively pressed by a finger towards the other jaw to rotate the cam body.

JOSEPH MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,409,557 Lincoln .et a1. Mar. 14, 1922 1,470,280 McCulloch Oct. 9, 1923 2,094,544 Leja Sept. 28, 1937 

